Waxes are a known industrial product of particular value in the cosmetic industry. In specific, liquid wax from the sperm whale has long been a valuable industrial product, especially for the cosmetic industry. As most countries now have forbidden hunting of sperm whales, alternatives for this animal source liquid wax have been sought. It has been found that a desert bush (Simmondsi chinensis) contains a wax ester mixture (jojoba oil), which is considered an excellent substitute for the sperm whale oil in the cosmetic, lubricant, and surfactant industries. However, several years lapse between planting of a jojoba bush and the first harvest. Thus, availability of jojoba oil is scarce and poorly adapted to market changes, and also, the yield of jojoba oil from the bush is low.
Since higher fatty acids and alcohols are commercially available from other source materials, some even being relatively inexpensive, synthesis of commercially valuable waxes is a realistic possibility.
The principal object of this invention is to provide a process for synthesizing waxes wherein the immediate reaction product constitutes a commercially acceptable wax.